Redox regulation in O2 -tolerant [FeFe] hydrogenases: insights from two homologues
Rinat Khundoker, Sean H. Majer, Alexey Silakov
Most hydrogen-making enzymes fail when they meet air. But two nearly matching versions of one enzyme behave very differently: one recovers quickly, while the other gets stuck in a protected inactive state. What if two hydrogenases are about eighty-five percent identical, yet one is far more likely to shut down in oxygen, and that apparently disadvantage helps it survive oxygen exposure?